This invention relates to a system to displaying data to personnel under conditions that impair vision. More particularly, this invention relates to a system externally mounted on a variety of existing headgear (i.e. dive masks, goggles, firefighting masks, helmets, head straps etc.) to allow a wearer to see real-time presentations of compass data.
Successful completion of tasks in visually and physically challenging environments often requires navigation from one point to another. For example, US Navy SEAL and Marine Combat divers are required to take surface compass bearings and swim thousands of yards underwater to reach a target area with a good degree of accuracy. Currently, they use analog floating card compasses with luminous markings that are mounted on hand-held navigation boards. These hand-held navigational aids do not always come up to expectations since they can be very difficult to see in highly turbid, zero visibility conditions. If the compass data can be seen at all, it takes extremely high levels of concentration to maintain a nearly level compass attitude with visual contact with the compass, and stay on course. This fatigues the operator, is a distraction from other potentially important tasks, and can result in inefficient and possibly unsafe operations.
Firefighters or other nighttime operators also may face situations of impaired vision due to conditions of smoke and/or darkness in their application environment. Often overcoming the distraction of safely getting from one place to another can compromise effectiveness.
Thus, in accordance with this inventive concept, a need has been recognized in the state of the art for a system providing continuous, hands-free, access to compass data in all visibility conditions and not constraining an operator's body position to keep a compass sensor at a nearly level attitude to enable effective, safe completion of a mission.